Hibiscus plant named ‘Pink Elephant’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of hardy  Hibiscus  plant named ‘Pink Elephant’ producing a multitude of large, flat, pink flowers with small maraschino cherry red eye and light rose veining on large plants over at least 12 weeks during the summer and early fall.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid (L.).

Variety denomination: ‘Pink Elephant’.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy hibiscus plant, Hibiscus ‘Pink Elephant’, also referred to as the “new plant,” hybridized by Thomas M. Miksich in the mid1980's at the hybridizer's previous residence in East Chicago, Ind. and selected for further evaluation two years later. The new plant is a cross between an unnamed H. moscheutos hybrid, and an unnamed hybrid of H. coccineus. Hibiscus ‘Pink Elephant’ has been propagated both by stem cuttings and division of the crown at the hybridizer's current residence in Crown Point, Ind. The resultant asexually propagated plants have been found to be stable and true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Hibiscus ‘Pink Elephant’ differs from all other hibiscus known to the applicant in the following traits:

-   -   1. Large, flat, pink flowers with small maraschino cherry red         eye and light rose veining.     -   2. Flowers are held out from the plant with little or no         drooping.     -   3. Large plant habit.     -   4. Continuous or repeat blooming over a long season.

The foliage shape of ‘Pink Elephant’ is variable, depending on the time of year and position on the stem. The new plant is most similar to Hibiscus ‘Pink Wonder’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,555 but is distinct in that the flower of ‘Pink Elephant’ has a smaller eye zone diameter, lighter pink petals, lighter rose colored veining in the petals and light cream colored stigma.

Hibiscus ‘Pink Elephant’ is more floriferous and has larger flowers than either of its parents. It could be most closely compared to ‘Morrison-Gilberg (VII)’ and in doing so the new plant has darker pink flowers with more overlapping petals and also flowers for a longer period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of ‘Pink Elephant’ and the overall appearance of the plant. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower.

FIG. 2 shows the plant in full flower in mid season.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. Hibiscus ‘Pink Elephant’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of an eight-year old plant in the garden of the hybridizer in Crown Point, Ind. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed. The plants were not treated with grow regulators to reduce their normal height.

-   Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid. -   Parentage: Female parent Hibiscus moscheutos of unknown heritage     times unknown hybrid of H. coccineus (male parent); -   Propagation method: Stem cuttings and division; Time to initiate     roots from cuttings about three weeks. -   Rooting habit: Normal, thick to about 4 cm diameter, fleshy,     branching; root color tan to creamy white.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

-   Plant shape and habit: Multi-stemmed hardy herbaceous perennial with     12 to 18 thick upright branched main stems producing rounded mound; -   Crop time: Under normal summer growing conditions 12 to 18 weeks to     flower in a four-liter container. Plant growth rate is very good. -   Plant size: Unpinched plant stems without growth regulators about     188 cm tall from soil line and overall plant width at the widest     point about 200 cm; -   Internode length: Unpinched plant about 9 cm; pinched plant about 7     cm; -   Foliage description: Opposite; dentate; variable with leaves entire     to palmately lobed with three to five lobes, but typically palmate     with center lobe much larger than other two or four lobes; color     nearest RHS 137A on top and nearest RHS N138A underneath; blade up     to 18 cm long and 15 cm wide at broadest point; -   Veins: Palmate, between RHS 138C with some tinting of RHS 184D of     the main vein on the top surface and nearest RHS 145C underneath; -   Petioles: 5 to 10 cm long and 5 mm wide; glaucous, glabrous, nearly     round to concave top surface near base; RHS 185B on top with direct     sunlight and nearest RHS 144A underneath.

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

-   Buds: One day prior to opening about 10 cm long and 4 cm in     diameter, acute apex and bluntly rounded base, unopened petals RHS     63A at apex and veins with petal area between veins at base nearest     RHS 64D; prior to petals showing buds are about 4.5 cm long and 3 cm     in diameter, ovoid with acute apex; color between RHS 144A and RHS     144B with veins RHS 144A; -   Epicalyx: Entire, smooth, glabrous, linear with sharply acute apex;     10 to 12 per flower; 3.5 cm long tapering to base of 3 mm wide; RHS     144A on both inner and outer surface; -   Sepals: Five, fused in lower half forming tubular star-shaped calyx;     glabrous, acute apex; about 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide at fused     portion; RHS 144A; -   Flowers: Solitary, flat, outwardly facing; about 30 cm across,     smaller later in flowering season; persist for a one to two days;     effective for at least 12 weeks beginning mid July with a repeat     flowering in the fall lasting into October; no detectable fragrance; -   Petals: Five; basally adnate to the androecium, imbricate to about     70% overlapping at widest part (only 30% of each petal not being     overlapped by the two petals on either side); 15 cm long and 18 cm     wide at broadest span; inside face RHS 68B with veins near center of     RHS 68A; veins near edge of petals same color as petal; central eye     pattern 6 to 7 cm across consisting of the inside 3 cm portion of     the petals and feathering out in the last 3 cm of eye; petal portion     outside of eye matte texture; eye: shiny texture, color nearest RHS     45A; back of petals between RHS 63B and RHS 63C near outer edge and     gradually lightening toward petal base between RHS 62C and RHS 62D;     veins in center of petal back RHS 64B and lightening toward center     to RHS 62D; veins on back same color as petal near apex; -   Gynoecium: Style: enclosed in column; white, lighter than RHS 11D, 5     to 8 cm long and 2 mm diameter; split into five branches in the     distal 12 to 15 mm; -   Stigma: 2 mm in diameter, nearest RHS 19C with slight pinkish tint     about RHS 64D around outside perimeter; -   Androecium: Filaments: numerous, about 120; less than 1 mm in     diameter and about 5 mm long; attached to entire length of column;     lighter than RHS 65D; -   Anthers: Round prior to anthesis, like two circular tubes connected     in between by a membranous layer, about 2 mm in diameter on the     round side and 1 mm thick; nearest RHS 47A on the perimeter and RHS     50D in the center; -   Pollen: Numerous, round with microscopic points, shiny, less than     0.1 mm long, nearest RHS 11D. -   Pedicel: Glabrous, rounded, very slightly curved, length from base     of bud to abscission point about 2.0 cm long and 4 mm wide on early     flowers; RHS 138A; -   Peduncle: Flowers are held out easily visible by up to 8 cm long and     3 mm wide; glabrous, nearest RHS 137D with some tinting of RHS 59D; -   Fruit: Five-valved capsule, longitudinally dehiscing; with swollen     calyx; glabrous; globose, occasionally with abruptly acute apex;     between RHS N199B and RHS N199C when mature; -   Seed: Floccose, globose to slightly reniform; 3 mm in diameter, RHS     200A; -   Disease resistance: Resistance beyond that of other hardy hibiscus     cultivars has not been observed. The plant grows best with plenty of     moisture and adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought     when mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 9, and     other disease resistance is typical of that of other hibiscus     cultivars. 

1. A new and distinct hybrid cultivar of hardy Hibiscus plant named ‘Pink Elephant’ as herein described and illustrated, producing a multitude of large pink flowers with maraschino cherry eye on large plants over at least 12 weeks during the summer and early fall, suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower arrangements. 